page In this issue: Network News is published by the Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network and Independent Living Program Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Office of Children, Youth & Families P.O. Box 2675 Harrisburg, PA 17105-2675 Even the stars need darkness to shine, and at the 2017 Older Youth retreat, shine bright they did! With a total of 91 youth and 49 staff from across Pennsylvania, the 2017 Older Youth Retreat was held at the University of Pittsburgh’s Johnstown campus from August 7-11. This year’s event included opportunities for youth to experience college life, make connections with their peers, and leave feeling inspired and motivated. They participated in a variety of activities, including a college fair at which attendees could explore a variety of options for post- secondary education. The youth also attended an alumni panel discussion about the transition to adulthood. They were then able to spend time with each panelist during an activity called alumni speed mentoring, where alumni transitioned from peer group to peer group for discussion. Focus groups have become a tradition at the retreat because they give youth an opportunity to voice their experiences and recommend improvements to the system. This year, the discussion surrounded youths’ experiences with normalcy. On the last day of the retreat, youth participated in a field games tournament. They broke off into groups and competed for the coveted Peer Group of the Year award. This year’s peer group winner was Team Teal. Youth jumped from field games to formal for that evening’s banquet. Everyone enjoyed a chance to dress up, and youth stopped by the red carpet- themed backdrop to pose with the friends they made throughout the week. The banquet honored this year’s Older Youth Agency of the Year award winner, The Moving-On Program at Hermitage House Youth Services (Crawford County). The banquet took an enchanting turn with a presentation by motivational speaker Eric Anderson who shared how magic and hard work helped him become successful. www.independentlivingpa.org 1-800-585-7926 (SWAN) www.adoptpakids.org Network News Voice of the SWAN/IL Network Special Edion/Summer 2017 2 NAC/Older Youth Matching Event page 4 25th Annual Pennsylvania Permanency Conference page Retreat Attendees and staff pose for a group photo outside Laurel Hall. Youth Shine Bright at 2017 Retreat By Barbara Huggins, Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 7 Beaver County CYS Hosts Annual Family Picnic Page Connued on Page 5 ► 8 Conference Award Winners Page
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1-800-585-7926 (SWAN) … · 6 A “Phan-tastic” Time (cont’d. from p.2) Network News | Special Edition 2017 NAC has been co-hosting Older Youth Matching Events
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page
In this issue:
Network News is published by the
Statewide Adoption and
Permanency Network and
Independent Living Program
Pennsylvania Department of
Human Services
Office of Children, Youth &
Families
P.O. Box 2675
Harrisburg, PA 17105-2675
Even the stars need darkness to shine,
and at the 2017 Older Youth retreat,
shine bright they did!
With a total of 91 youth and 49 staff
from across Pennsylvania, the 2017
Older Youth Retreat was held at the
University of Pittsburgh’s Johnstown
campus from August 7-11.
This year’s
event
included
opportunities
for youth to
experience
college life,
make
connections
with their
peers, and
leave feeling
inspired and
motivated.
They
participated
in a variety of activities, including a
college fair at which attendees could
explore a variety of options for post-
secondary education.
The youth also attended an alumni
panel discussion about the transition to
adulthood. They were then able to
spend time with each panelist during an
activity called alumni speed mentoring,
where alumni transitioned from peer
group to peer group for discussion.
Focus groups have become a tradition at
the retreat because they give youth an
opportunity to voice their experiences
and recommend improvements to the
system. This year, the discussion
surrounded youths’ experiences with
normalcy.
On the last day of the retreat, youth
participated in a
field games
tournament. They
broke off into groups
and competed for
the coveted Peer
Group of the Year
award. This year’s
peer group winner
was Team Teal.
Youth jumped from
field games to
formal for that
evening’s banquet.
Everyone enjoyed a
chance to dress up,
and youth stopped by the red carpet-
themed backdrop to pose with the
friends they made throughout the week.
The banquet honored this year’s Older
Youth Agency of the Year award winner,
The Moving-On Program at Hermitage
House Youth Services (Crawford
County). The banquet took an
enchanting turn with a presentation by
motivational speaker Eric Anderson who
shared how magic and hard work helped
him become successful.
www.independentlivingpa.org 1-800-585-7926 (SWAN)
www.adoptpakids.org
Network News Voice of the SWAN/IL Network
Special Edition/Summer 2017
2 NAC/Older Youth
Matching Event
page
4 25th Annual Pennsylvania Permanency
Conference
page
Retreat Attendees and staff pose for a group photo outside
Laurel Hall.
Youth Shine Bright at 2017 Retreat By Barbara Huggins, Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center
PAE Family Coordinator pose for a photo on the field.
Event attendees tour Citizens Bank Park.
Photos Continued on Page 7 ►
7 Voice of the SWAN/IL Network
Angela Puntureri and Liz Newberry are SWAN
Legal Services Initiative paralegals supporting Beaver County. On Wednesday, August 16, Bea-
ver County Children and Youth Services hosted
their annual family picnic for all of the families they service. It was a beautiful day filled with lots
of fun activities for children and their families. The activities included things like an art center,
petting zoo, bounce houses, a rock wall, train rides and much more. There was a ton of food for
families to enjoy with the crowd favorites being snow cones and popcorn. Angela and Liz were
able to help with the picnic and had a wonderful time interacting with the families.
Beaver County CYS Hosts Annual Family Picnic
By Katie Bruno, Family Design Resources, Inc.
8
conference since she was four
years old. She considers this an
important part of her childhood
memories. Angela brings her
excitement and energy to this
position, and we deeply
appreciate the incredible job she
did this year.
Amy Salvatori is our child care
director. Amy has watched this
program grow over the past
several years, and we feel so
blessed to have her as part of
our family. Her compassion and
long-time experience with
children has been an added
bonus to this program.
I would also like to thank the SWAN prime contract
conferencing staff, Beth Duzey, Ina Wertz, and
Charlotte Wilson-Manley as well as Joe Warrick and
Carrie Keiser from OCYF and the conference
planning committee for their
hard work and dedication. I
have had the honor
over the past eleven years to
work with these consummate
professionals; they are the
backbone of this conference.
Thank you to each of them for
the hundreds of hours of
service they have given to this
great event.
We don’t have to travel the
world to find people who are
vulnerable and who are
“wholehearted” in their approach
to life; we need only look as far as all the
Pennsylvania families who open up their hearts and
homes to children and the professionals who lay
bare their feelings and faults so others may learn.
We need only to look to the Pennsylvania
Permanency Conference. Hope to see you there in
2018!
Network News | Special Edition 2017
Wholehearted People (cont’d. from p.4)
The conference planning committee worked tirelessly to
ensure that this year’s conference was better than ever.
Conference Award Winners
a. Stephanie Salvatori of Lycoming County Children and Youth Services was the recipient of the Youth Advocate Recognition award.
b. Karen Knodel of Bethanna was the recipient of the Permanency Professional Recognition award.
c. Blessings Foster Care Ministry was the recipient of the Philanthropy Recognition Award.
d. Andrew and Kelly Hughes of the Foster Love Project were the recipients of the Permanency Advocate Recognition award.
d c b a
9 Voice of the SWAN/IL Network
e. Rodney and Cari Prezioso and family of Mercer County were recipients of the Permanent Families Recognition award. f. Matthew and Amy Stohrer and family of Lebanon County were recipients of the Permanent Families Recognition award. g. Ronald Williams, Wyoming County Commissioner and Adoptive parent was the winner of the SWAN Advisory Committee Outstanding Service to Adoption award.
h. The Permanency Teamwork award recipients were Laura Gellner, Butler County Children and Youth Services; Karleen Vogt, Family Pathways; Ken Laaks, Children’s Aid Society of Mercer County.
i. August and Roxanne Long and family of Carbon County were recipients of the Permanent Families Recognition award.
j. Shane and Rachel Ramos McMahon and family of Montgomery County were recipients of the Permanent Families
Recognition award.
k. Vincent and Sharyn Mazzoni and their son of Bucks
County were recipients of the Permanent Families Recognition award.
Not pictured: Permanent Families Recognition Award winners Paul and Katrina Keane (Allegheny County) and Independent Living Professional Recognition award winner Leasia Ayers-
Caswell, Adams County Children and Youth Services.
g f e
k
j
i h
Conference Highlights
Pennsylvania Resources
Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN) www.adoptpakids.org